The Deity
by roses.red
Summary: An evil from long ago returns and steals Majora's Mask for his own dark purposes, kidnapping Tera's brother as a sacrifice to restore the mask's power. Tera must go on a journey to free the Fierce Deity and save her brother. Fierce Deity x OC


_A/N: Alright, this story is intended to explain the origins of Majora's Mask and the Fierce Deity. I got the idea back in September and have been developing it ever since. Finally, five months later, here is the first chapter!_

The Deity

Chapter I

Mottled light crept through the thick shroud of leaves overhead as the two men ran through the forest, their footsteps muffled on the soft padding of decaying foliage. One stopped, bending down, hands on his knees, as he struggled to catch his breath. His companion turned. "Come on, Ciar, they might catch up with us," he urged.

Ciar shook his head, glancing at the shadowed trees. "No way, man. Even those old hags wouldn't come this far."

Ciar's companion looked around as well. He nodded in consent. "Let's just hang around for awhile, give 'em time to cool down."

Ciar nodded, and took a seat on the forest floor, grateful he could finally catch his breath. The shadows of leaves waved with the wind. His head pounded from the rush of adrenaline and his body's starving for oxygen. Beside him, his companion, who remained standing, started to speak again. "Well, I'd say that was one of your more stupid ideas, Ciar."

Ciar's eyes narrowed. He did not look up, but he could sense his partner looming over him, arms crossed; feel the accusatory glare cast upon him. "If I remember," he said slowly, trying to keep his cool, "you were the one who swore they would never remember us."

"You tryin' to put the blame on me? What if we never get out of this forest?"

He was beginning to feel irritated. The lighting of this place was wrong somehow, eerie. Shadows moved somewhere beyond the trees. "We made it here didn't we? Of course we'll make it out," he replied.

"No we won't. You've heard the stories. People who wander into this forest never come back. Why'd you have to bring us here?"

"That's nothing more than a rumor," Ciar said.

"A rumor? How do you know it's just a rumor? We're gonna die here, Ciar, and it's gonna be on your head. What do you have to say to that?"

Ciar did not say anything. He was listening to the blood pounding in his ears, the rustling of something deep within the woods, something to drown out the annoying voice. But it was no use. His companion began to speak again, his words grating Ciar's ears, making his mind twist with fury. Had his partner always been this irritating? He couldn't remember. When he tried to think of anything from the last two years, he could not remove his mind from this moment; this moment where his mind was on fire with the abrasion of every word. The shadows were creeping over him, slithering up his legs, to his arm, to the dagger hanging at his side. A red shroud covered his eyes. His mind pulsed as his legs pushed him to a standing pushing, his hand moved of its own accord, reaching for the dagger, sliding it out of its sheath. He barely heard the bloodcurdling screams as the blade plunged deep into his partner's chest, spilling the warm red liquid over his hands. His partner's body went limp, sliding to the ground to lie in a heap. Finally, it was finally silent.

Ciar opened his eyes, and a horror was before him. His companion's body lay on the ground, unmoving, the eyes wide and lifeless. Blood stained his shirt where Ciar's dagger protruded from his chest, pooling in a dark puddle over the dead leaves. Ciar saw his own hands, dripping with the blood which was still warm and fresh, and he started to kneel. "What have I done?" he choked. "Oh, gods, what have I done?"

_No gods can help you now_.

The voice came from nowhere and everywhere, cutting into Ciar's mind like a knife. His head jerked up, looking around. The shadows were moving again, not from wind now, but as if they were moving on their own. They slid over the forest floor, merging together. A dark figure loomed up like a wisp of smoke, wavering in the air before Ciar's eyes.

_I've…been waiting so long…for someone with an evil heart…to come here. Now…I will take your heart._

The shadow wrenched toward him, and before Ciar could even utter a scream, it slipped into his body, and Ciar was no more.

* * *

><p>Tera stood at the counter, listening to the man's complaints for what seemed like the hundredth time. He was a burly man, somewhat short, with a large purple top hat and striped orange and purple overalls; these were part of his costume for the act he was performing at the Carnival of Time. It was some sort of juggling act. She thought his name was 'Baram' or something along those lines, but with so many people coming to the inn these days, it was hard to remember everyone's names. To make up for it, she made a point to memorize each of the faces staying in each room. This particular man had been quite a pain ever since he came, always finding something to complain about: the room was too small, his bed was too hard, the wallpaper was ugly. At present, he was proclaiming that he had seen a mouse scurrying under his bed. Tera would have liked to say something, but he would not stop talking long enough for her to get a word in. She was almost certain he had been going on for about five minutes now, and a few of their other customers were starting to gather in the lobby to hear what was going on. What was she going to do if this one nitpicky man singlehandedly gave the Stock Pot Inn a bad reputation? Her family depended on the rooms being booked solid every year around Carnival time!<p>

Finally, Baram paused for a few brief seconds, and Tera took the opportunity to assert a response into what had so far been a one-sided conversation. "Sir," she said quickly, "I am very sorry about this problem. Later today, we'll have someone check your room, alright?"

"Alright? How is it supposed to be 'alright'?" Baram cried, pounding his fist on the countertop so loudly that Tera flinched. "Listen, _little girl_, I'd like to speak to whoever owns this…_place_." He spat the last word out like it was something dirty, and Tera clenched her teeth angrily.

"I am sorry, sir, but both of my parents are busy at the moment. Please rest assured that your problem will be taken care of as soon as possible."

"Great. Just what I get for staying at a rundown place like this."

If he had not been nearly twice her size, and if there hadn't been so many customers watching, Tera would really liked to have slapped him. This guy had a lot of nerve. After all of the catering to him they had done, buying a decorative wall-hanging to put over the wallpaper, even bringing in a different bed for him to sleep on, he called it 'a rundown place'. Someone like him didn't deserve to stay here, and she genuinely hoped he would follow through on his threats to 'never stay here again'. That would definitely be a weight off all of their shoulders. She was about to open her mouth to reply again when, relief of all reliefs, she heard her mother's voice behind her.

"Teramisu, is there a problem?"

"Oh, mother. This gentleman here," she had to force herself to call him a 'gentleman' instead of a word more fitting to his character, "has most unfortunately had another problem."

"Oh my. Another one?" her mother said, matching her daughter's obviously falsely polite voice. Tera sincerely hoped Baram would realize they were mocking him right in front of his face. He might be too stupid to figure it out though.

"I'm so sorry, sir," Kashi, Tera's mother, continued. She turned to Tera and said quietly, "Go find your brother, will you? Tell him to clean up his toys now, or he won't see them again until _after_ the Carnival." Tera nodded and slid out from behind the counter, grateful to escape as Kashi returned her attentions to the aggravated Baram.

Finding her brother wasn't difficult at all. A turn to the left once she was out of Stock Pot Inn, up the stairs, and down the bustling street to North Clocktown found the nine-year-old blue-haired boy at the far wall, struggling to climb the fence guarding the Deku Scrub Playground just in front of the Great Fairy's Fountain. The Playground was located underground, and as the name suggested, built for Deku Scrubs. But as always, the boy was determined to visit the strange underground room, complete with floating platforms that only a Deku Scrub, with their ability to fly through the air, could reach.

Shaking her head, she crossed over, greeting a few neighbors and visitors she passed. She reached the fence just as her brother was starting to hoist one leg over the top of the fence. "Still trying to be a Deku Scrub, Pippin?" she asked. Pippin, startled by the sudden voice, lost his grip and fell with what sounded like a rather painful thud onto his backside.

"Tera! What was that for?" he cried, turning on her angrily.

Tera giggled. "Sorry," she said. "Mom's looking for you. She says clean up your toys, or she's taking them away."

Pippin groaned. "Can't she give me a break during Carnival time?"

"I think it's more important to clean now because we have a lot of customers," Tera pointed out. Pippin poked his lip out in a pout, but he pushed himself to his feet and began to walk with his sister back to their family's inn. "Aren't you and your friends supposed to be putting on a show this year? Shouldn't you be rehearsing?"

"Rehearsing?" Pippin pulled the wooden sword he always carried from its makeshift sheath on his back. "The Great Link needs no rehearsals!"

"I hope 'the Great Link' doesn't regret it when he gets on stage and forgets his lines. Are you sure you don't want me to practice with you? I'm pretty good at being a fairy."

Pippin let out a groan. "I guess we can practice tonight," he grumbled.

They were now back at the entrance to the inn. "Oh, I wonder if Mom took care of that Baram guy."

"Beats me," Pippin said as they walked into the lobby. "See ya later, Tera." He ran off up the stairs.

Kashi smiled as her son zoomed by before she could say a word. "I see your brother's full of his usual energy," she said.

"As always," Tera agreed.

Kashi placed a hand on her lower back. "I wish I could say the same. I'm starting to feel my age."

"Mom, you go rest for awhile. I can take over again."

"Oh, Tera, that reminds me. It's your grandmother's turn to cook tonight. Why don't you go help her?"

Tera knew what that meant. Grandma Anju was renowned for her terrible cooking, and apparently always had been. Her granddaughter on the other hand, was considered the best cook in the family. The result was that, whenever it was Anju's turn to cook, Tera was sent to take over before the elderly woman could poison the entire household.

"Has she started already?" Tera asked, to which her mother gave a grave nod. "I'd better hurry. Don't overwork yourself, Mom." She rushed to the kitchen, where already a strange smell was beginning to waft out.

Anju was bent over a large pot on the stove stirring. Her gray hair, which had once been dark red like her daughter's, was tied in a bun and she wore an apron over her dress. An odd assortment of ingredients was laid out on the counter beside her. Tera hoped she wasn't already too late. "Grandma!" she called, hurrying in.

Anju turned and smiled at her granddaughter. "Tera, have you come to help me cook again?"

"Well, you know I love cooking," Tera said. Somehow, her grandmother had never realized just how bad her cooking really was, perhaps because someone always intervened when she was cooking, and they all made an effort to hide it from her. Tera's excuse was her love for cooking and her desire to spend time with her grandmother.

"Of course. I was just starting to make vegetable stew. I'm sorry I didn't wait for you."

"Oh no, don't worry about it." Tera moved to her grandmother's side, taking the spoon from her hand and peering into the pot. Whatever had been put in here, it didn't look like vegetable stew. Maybe she could still remedy the disaster. "I haven't seen Grandpa Kafei today."

Anju took a seat on the bench across from Tera, wiping her hands on her apron. "He's been busy helping the Mayor get things organized for the Carnival. I always thought he would have made a good Mayor, better than his father, but you know your grandfather."

Tera smiled. "Yeah, he would hate being confined behind a desk all day." Suddenly she heard a loud bang come from upstairs and a shout, making her jump. She looked up, startled by the noise, wondering what could have caused it.

"It sounds like your father is helping Mr. Baram out right now. I hope everything will be alright," Anju said.

"I don't think anything will be alright until that awful man is gone."

"Teramisu, you shouldn't speak that way about our customers," Anju scolded, but looking over her shoulder, Tera saw the slight smile on her grandmother's lips.

It was just short of an hour when Tera finished making the stew and she, her grandparents, parents, and her brother gathered together in the staff room to eat, leaving the maid to attend the counter. Everyone except for her grandmother looked a little worried as Tera spooned the contents of the pot into their bowls, but fortunately, Tera had managed to salvage the stew before Anju did too much damage, and they were able to enjoy a nice, if somewhat simple, meal.

During dinner, Kafei entertained Pippin with the story of Link, Majora's Mask, and the Moon which, nearly fifty years ago, had almost crushed Clocktown because of the evil mask which had used the Skull Kid to wreak havoc on the peoples of Termina. It was a story well known to everyone, and a favorite among the kids. With their grandfather though, they got to learn a little more about Link's personality and how he had gone out of his way to help reunite Kafei with their grandmother after Kafei had been turned into a child by the Skull Kid's cruel curse. It was a tale filled with suspense, action, and romance, and Tera and her brother never tired of hearing it.

When dinner was over, Tera told her mother to go to bed, that she would stay at the counter until closing time. Since the inn's expansion five years ago, when they had added a third floor complete with four more rooms due to the high demand, they had changed closing time on the eve of the Carnival to midnight, in case any last minute reservations came in. Tera had never quite understood it, since they were usually completely booked by then, but her mother assured her that it would encourage potential customers to come back next year, only at an earlier time.

When everyone else had gone to bed and Tera was leaning on the front counter staring at the clock, she heard soft footsteps creeping down the stairs. Glancing over, she saw Pippin emerge, dressed in his green Link costume. "Pip, shouldn't you be in bed?" Tera said.

"You promised you would practice with me!" Pippin whined. "And besides, I want to see the fireworks this year. Can I please?"

Tera sighed. "Alright, but don't tell Mom or Dad! So, which part should we start at?"

"When Link and his fairy go up to confront the Skull Kid!" Pippin handed her the booklet containing the script for the play. It had been the idea of the Bombers Secret Society of Justice, which wasn't a very well kept secret and which Pippin was the current leader of, to put on the play this year, and the school teacher had helped them write it. All of the kids were looking forward to the play, and Tera knew most of the adults were secretly eager to see it as well.

"Okay…" Tera turned to the page. She cleared her throat, getting ready to play every part except for Link, since that was Pippin's job. "Link! We have to stop the Skull Kid before he destroys the town!"

Pippin drew his sword, pointing it dramatically into the air. "Fear not, Tatl! We will not be defeated now, not after we've come this far!"

Now Tera used her best Skull Kid voice. "Hahaha! You think you can defeat me? Just try it!" Now back to her fairy voice. "Quick, Link! Play the Oath to Order!"

An hour passed quickly in this way. Pippin was a good actor, if a little over dramatic, but the play itself was over dramatic, so it couldn't really be helped. When they had gone through the play, Pippin continued to entertain himself by practicing his lines, and throwing in a few made up scenes of his own, while Tera tapped her fingers on the counter and returned to staring at the clock.

It was almost 11:30 when unexpectedly the door opened and a man walked in. He was maybe in his mid-twenties, with short, unruly brown hair and dressed in a simple white shirt and brown pants, with a dark cloak wrapped around his shoulders, as if he had been traveling. He seemed normal enough, but there was something odd about his eyes, although she couldn't quite place what it was. When he came in, those eyes immediately fell on Pippin and he stopped for a brief moment to stare at the boy with a strange gleam in his eyes. Tera didn't like that look, brief as it was, and she cleared her throat.

"Good evening, sir. May I help you?" she asked. Now that she looked at him more closely, she felt almost certain that she had seen him before.

The man turned to her and approached the counter. "Yes, I'd like to book a room."

"Did you have a reservation?" This was the standard conversation around this time of year.

"No, I only just arrived."

Tera felt slightly relieved to hear this. "I see. Unfortunately, we are already completely booked."

"I see." The man seemed strangely unfazed by this information. Maybe he didn't realize his only other option would be to sleep outside, unless he could find a resident kind enough to take him in. "Perhaps you could help me with something else."

Tera eyed him with suspicion. There was something not right about this character. She wished he would just leave. "I'll do what I can."

"I'm looking for a mask."

"What sort of mask? There are many types of different masks you can find around Termina. I don't even know of all of them."

"This mask is unique, one of a kind. I wonder if you have heard of it."

"Please, sir, not to be rude, but I can't help you if you don't tell me more. What is the mask's name?"

"I believe you may know it by the name 'Majora's Mask'."

Tera blinked at him, startled. "I'm sorry. You said 'Majora's Mask'? Is this some kind of joke?"

"It is _not_ a joke," the man said. He seemed to be growing irritated with her. "This mask is very important to me. You see, it's something of a family heirloom, but it was stolen many years ago, and I would like to have it back."

"No one's seen that mask for fifty years," Pippin said.

Now the man turned to the boy. "What do you mean? What happened to it?"

"Don't you know? The hero Link defeated the evil in the mask long ago, then the Happy Mask Salesman took it away with him, and he was never seen again. Everyone knows _that_."

A dark look came over the man's face. "I see," he said. "Well, thank you for your help."

"You're welcome," Tera said as he walked out the door, although she couldn't bring herself to say 'Please come again'. She would rather have Baram come every year than to see that creepy person ever again. She looked at the clock now.

"Pippin, it's almost midnight! We should hurry if we're going to see the fireworks!"

The two of them hurried out the door and she locked it behind them before they ran down the street to South Clocktown so that no one who was not a guest could get inside. It seemed that everyone in the town was now packed into South Clocktown, staring up at the Clock Tower in eager anticipation. The two youths squeezed between people, trying to get a better view. Before long the bell began to chime the midnight tones, and fireworks began to shoot into the sky as the top of the Clock Tower raised.

Pippin watched in awe as the array of colored lights burst into different shapes in the sky above them. It was his first time seeing the fireworks because their parents never allowed him to stay up this late. Tera smiled at her brother, remembering the first time she had been allowed to watch the fireworks. Although the fireworks never ceased to be awe-inspiring, nothing could compare to that first sight, when childhood innocence made the event seem almost like a dream. Pippin's face was alight with joy. "Look! It's Link!" he said, pointing eagerly at the green fireworks that had just burst into the shape of a boy's head with a pointed hat. A smaller firework flew up next to it, flowering out into a small ball of white light.

"And there's Tatl," Tera said. She and Pippin grinned at one another.

The fireworks continued for about a quarter of an hour. When they finally ended, Tera grabbed Pippin's hand tightly so she wouldn't lose him in the crowd, and dragged the energetic boy back to the Inn. Most of the people would stay behind to enjoy the nighttime festivities, so East Clocktown was as quiet and empty as when they had left. Pippin pulled out his sword as they made their way inside, jumping onto one of the benches in the lobby as he battled some imaginary creature.

"Pippin," Tera hissed, "you have to be quiet or you'll wake Mom and Dad."

Looking a bit dejected, the boy lowered his sword and climbed off the bench. "Do I have to go bed now?"

"Yes. You want to wake up early for all the fun, don't you?"

"I can still wake up. Just a little later? Please?"

"No. What if someone wakes up and catches you? Off to bed." Tera nodded at the staircase. Pippin sighed and made his way up the stairs. Tera went behind the counter to make sure she had put everything away, and then followed her brother up to bed.


End file.
